Meagan Duhamel – Sacrifices, Flow States, and Focusing on the Task, not the Result – EP079

1% Better S2,

Meagan Duhamel – Sacrifices, Flow States, and Focusing on the Task, not the Result – EP079

August 30, 2018

1% Better with Meagan Duhamel

Quote:

‘That part of my life is definitely complete’ — Meagan Duhamel retires with 3 Olympic medals, 2 world titles

Meaghan is a 2 time world champ, 2018 Olympic Gold & Bronze Medallist, 7 time national champion, Vegan and so much more!

One of the stand out parts from this interview was her mantra ‘What can I do today, to be better tomorrow?’ – this is what the 1% Better podcast is all about!

During the individual pairs free skate at the 2018 Olympics, Duhamel and Radford became the first team to complete a quadruple throw jump at any Winter Olympic competition when she landed their throw quadrupleSalchow.

During our conversation, we touch on a lot.

1% Better Takeaways:

Set your sight on a goal, do everything you can to achieve it.

Be ready to sacrifice so much as nothing comes for free or easy!

Hard work is key

Be open to change

Don’t get focused on the Result – focus on the improvement and personal best!!

Set the big goal but work on the day to day.

Bi in the moment.

Focusing on being better every single day instead of a bigger goal.

If you get scared to lose, that’s what you do. Because that is what you’re focusing on.

Focusing on the task.

Write guided scripts and record it in your own voice. Listening back to this was of huge help. It helped massively with keeping focus.

Summary of questions with timings below.

1min– Earliest memory – at the age of 3 at the golf driving range getting a whack from her sister!

3min– Skating from the age of 3 – the family were all very much into the Ice rinks – Meagan was very much following her older sister onto the ice.

5min –Competing against each other in the early years but to get to the elite level, Meagan wanted to move away from home to get this, her sister didn’t. This was the dividing line. This was the decision Meagan made at 14. It was set in her mind from 6 or 7 that the Olympics was her goal. Her dream!

7min – where did the level of self-belief and determination of going to the Olympics

8min – Having crazy dreams without the talent at the highest level. It was her hard work and determination was the key driver. Getting advice from a skating judge that she could have the potential and from there, her parents put their faith into her career.

10min– the belief was always coming from Meagan about her dream.

11min– Skating & sport was her pure focus and drive

12min – Sacrifices made at this time – moving away from home at 14! Living with different families and having to live 3 hours from home. This was expensive as is skating in general. Her parents both had two jobs.

13min – Progression and growth trajectory over the next few years was steady but slow! In 2006, attend the national championships. As a single skater, she finished 4th. This was a huge setback. This was a big time for reflection.

15min – Coming 4thwas a catalyst to drive her forward again. She then moved to Montreal and started to skate pairs.

17min – Change from single to pair skating – this was a pretty smooth transition as Meagan was ready for a change and she embraced it. Dealing with the challenge of team work and having to be right even if you weren’t felling right.

19mins – After skating with Craig for 3 years, they were focusing on Olympic qualification for the upcoming Olympics in Canada. Showing up at national they finished 3rd. Missing out again. This was a huge inflection point. It was a big moment for Meagan. However, a Coach, now Meagan’s Husband, believed in her and a new partner, Eric, as a team!

22mins – Early challenges with Eric, her new partner. Learning to overcome these on timing, size, athleticism. After about a month, they realized that they, as a pair, could do jumps and throws that no other team could! Both were good single skaters, and this was their strategy. The Triple Lutz was a jump that set this pairing apart and this would lead to their success.

26mins– 4 years of continued success as they built up to the winter Olympics in Sochi. Natural progression every year. Entered the Olympics, they thought this was their chance of winning. In the moment, Meagan was too focused on the result, instead of the personal goal. She felt she missed out on the great Olympic skate. A great performance.

In Skating, you can’t control the result. You are handing over control to the judges. Going into the 2018 Olympics, this was the change in focus.

29mins – Planning for the next Olympics. In fact, they started to plan day by day instead of a 4-year plan. Sick of living in this 4-year cycle. Now just putting one foot in front of the other.

Learning the Throw Quad Salchow. Focus on this for 2 years.

32mins– Fear of losing taking over. Still not sure they’d make it to the Olympics. This was the peak!! So, should they retire now in 2016. They had the great skate. So, another point of reflection needed. Meagan was regaining her motivation, Eric was losing his.

34mins– Sport psychology – changing the mindset. Still at the low in 2017 as a team. Felt lost and just not in the right place. Enlisted the help of a mental trainer. Focus.

35mins– Tools that were used to get the mindset in place.

37mins – Winning Gold & Bronze medal – showed up in the best shape physically, mentally, and emotionally. Going in as underdogs. This made them feel very comfortable. Both of them felt so calm and relaxed. They skated and let everything flow.

39mins– being able to turn off the brain during the skating and reaching a state flow. They felt this was coming. They had concerns what the judges were going to do.

42mins– Becoming a Vegan – How this came about and how the transition happened. Again, being very focused and made this as a career.

45mins – The future in coaching and health and wellness.

Phrase: Is there a saying / phrase to live by? — Enjoy the journey, not the destination

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